livingston



INVENTOH 7 ATTORNEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

E. LIVINGSTON.

AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHBR.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES:

1N0 Modei.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. E LIVINGSTON AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHBR.

No. 555,386. Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

' WITNESSES:

A 770/?NE Y S.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

E. LIVINGSTON. AUTDMATIG FIRE BXTINGUISHER.

N0. 555,386. Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

WITNESSES: INVENTOH q BY J A7TOHNEYS.

AN DREW EGRAHAM. PnUvO-uThuwASmNGTON D cv NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDYVARD LIVINGSTON, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND HARRY M. ISAACSON, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATlC FIRE- EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555.386, dated February 25, 1896.

Application filed April 1 l 8 9 To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDwARD LIVINGSTON, of New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Fire-Extinguisher, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to automatic fire extin guishers and alarms such as shown and described in the Letters Patent of the United States X0. %,926, granted to me on the 12th of September, 1893.

The object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus for extinguishing fires and giving an alarm, the said apparatus being designed for use in officebuildings, warehouses, factories, dwellings, and other buildings.

The invention consists in certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is an end elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the gasgenerating vessel in the discharging position. Fig. 4: is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the fusion-valve. Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation of a modified form of the apparatus. Fig. 6 is an end view of part of the same, and Fig. 7 is aside elevation of the improvement provided with an auxiliary tank.

The improved apparatus is provided with a series of pipes A arranged preferably near the ceiling in each of the rooms of the building to be protected against fire by the apparatus. Each of the pipes A is provided with one or more f usionwalves B arranged to open as soon as the temperature in the room exceeds, say, about 160, so that the fire-extinguishing matter contained in and passing into the pipes A can pass through the valves upon the tire to extinguish the same.

Each valve B (see Fig. 4.) is provided with a short pipe 13 screwing in a T of the pipe A, and formed at its outer end with an annular Serial No. 545,934. (No model.)

flange B on which screws a yoke B and on which is held an elastic valve-seat B normally closed, and a ball-valve 13", preferably made of glass, porcelain or other similar material. The ball-valve B is held in position on the seat by a cap B engaged by a crutch made in three parts B B B diverging at their upper portion to form an expanded support and of which the members B and B are fastened by an easily-fusible solder to the other member, so that when the temperature in the room rises above 160 then the fusion-solder disconnects the several members and consequently the crutch falls apart and the ball 13 is removed from the seat 13 so that the pressure of the fluid contained in the pipes A causes the fluid to pass through the open valve-seat. B is a deflector which is screwed down 011 top of the yoke by a set-screw entering the head of the crutch member 13 The valve-seat B is preferably corrugated, as shown, so as to provide sufficient strength and yet retain its elasticity.

Each pipe A, Fig. 2, is provided with an ordinary globe-valve A and connects by a T A with a pipe A extending through the side of a tank O to a vessel D, supported in the tank 0 and connected at its bottom with a siphon-pipe E, extending into a supply-tank F containing water or other liquid fluid and arranged in a suit-ablepart of the building. The upper end of the pipe E, extending into the vessel D, is normally closed by a bellshaped valve G, having its lower edge inserted in a liquid or mercury contained in the bottom of the vessel D, so as to form a hermetical seal between the upper end of the pipe E and the interior of the vessel D.

The top of the valve G is weighted and is formed with the valve G, preferably made conical and adapted to be seated in the valveseat D, formed in the top of the vessel D. A guiding valve-stem G extends from the apex of the valve G through the top D and into the interior of a holder II, made in the shape of a gasometer or float and normally opening into the liquid contained in the tank C.

On the upper end of the holder H is arranged a frame H, supporting weights I and provided with contact-plates J, adapted to make contact with the plates J connected with the wires of an electric alarm. The plates are normally in contact with each other, but when the holder H moves downward the contact between the plates J and J is broken, and an alarm is sounded.

On the frame H extend downwardly the arms H formed at their lower ends with racks H in mesh with gear-wheels K, secured on the outer ends of the shafts K, mounted to turn in suitable bearings in casings L, secured on the top of the tank F and opening into the same. lVithin each casing L is arranged a vessel N, secured on the shaft K, so as to turn with the latter at the time the holder H moves downward, and by its racks H turns the gearwheels K.

Each vessel N is provided with an outletvalve N, normally standing on top of the vessel at the time the holder H is in an uppermost position; but when the holder descends and the vesselN is turned, as above described, then the valve N is carried to a lowermost position and automatically opens and permits the contents of the vessel to empty into the tank F.

The vessels N contain sulphuric acid or other suitable chemical for generating gas within the tank F to exert a pressure on the liquid contained in the tank F and force the said liquid up the siphon-pipe E and into the pipes A, as hereinafter more fully described.

The operation is as follows: \Vhen one of the fusion-valves B isopened by heat in a room, as previously explained, then the fluid contained in the pipes A can escape through the open valve B whereby the pressure in the vessel D is reduced,and likewise the pressure in the interior of the holder H, so as to cause the latter to move downward in the liquid in the tank 0. On account of its weights I the holder H in descending causes the vessels N to empty their contents into the tank F so as to create a pressure on top of the liqnid contained in the tank F, as above explained. The liquid consequently rises in the siphon-pipe E and passes into the vessel D, lifting the valve G so as to establish communication between the pipes E and A at the same time closing the connection between the vessel D and the interior of the holder H. The liquid passing through the pipe E passes through the vessel D into the pipe A and to the several pipes A, to finally pass through the open fusion-valve B onto the fire to extinguish the same. On the T A of the pipe A is arranged a short pipe A containing a valve A and adapted to be connected with a hose, so that the apparatus can be used as a stationary fire-engine, it being understood that the valve A is then closed and the valve A opened to permit the liquid under pressure from the tank F to pass into the pipe A and through the hose and its nozzle to the place where the fire exists.

In case the several pipes A, instead of being filled with air and gas, are filled with a fireextinguishing liquid, then I prefer the construction shown in Fig. 5, in which the vessel D is provided near its upper end with a funnel D extending into mercury contained in a cup G fitted to slide in the said vessel D The cup Gr carries a valve'stem G5 supporting weights G and connected with arms H having racks H engaging gear-wheels K secured on a shaft carrying the acid-containing vessel, and located within the casing L, set over the tank F.

The siphon-pipe E opens into the upper end of the vessel D while the outlet-pipe A of the pipe A leads from the bottom of the said vessel D as shown in Fig. 5. The liquid under pressure in the pipe A holds the cup G and weights G in an uppermost position, but as soon as one of the fusion-valves opens and the liquid in the pipe A flows out through the open fusion valve then the weighted cup G3 descends and the racks 11 cause a turning of the gear-wheels K so that the acid containing vessel N discharges its contents into the tank F. A pressure is now generated in the tank F,and the liquid therein is forced through the pipe E into the vessel D and through its funnel D to finally pass up the outlet-pipe A into the pipes A and onto the fire. A small pipe A leads from the bottom of the vessel D into the pipe A so as to permit the cup G to completely seat itself in the bottom of the vessel, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 7 is illustrated an additional supply of extinguishing material by employing a reserve tank 0 which has the same arrangement of acid-holders and automatic machinery for generating carbonified gas as the tank F above described. This tank 0 supports a vessel P, connected at its upper end by a siphon-pipe P with the interior of the reserve tank, and the said vessel contains a piston P provided with a piston-rod P supporting at its upper outer end weights P". The lower end of the said vessel P is connected by a pipe Q, with a cylinder R set on the tank F and provided in its bottom with a valve S normally seated for disconnecting the interior of the cylinderR and the tank F. This vessel P is the same as the vessels D, Fig. and D Fig. 5that is, its oifice and function is the same. It has the same rack-andpinion attachments to acid-drums as in either form of vessel above described.

The pipe Q is provided with a valved branch pipe T, to which an air-pump may be attached to force air into the vessels P B. After sulficient air shall have been forced in to support the valve P in its upper position, as shown in the drawings, and to hold the valve S down on its seat the valve in the pipe T is closed and the pump may then be removed and a plug inserted in the end of the pipe T, and so the parts remain until a fire occurs. \Vhen a fire occurs, the contents of the tank F will be first brought into play. The pressure generated therein will force the valve S upward against the air-pressure above the inlet of the pipe Q, and when the valve S shall have reached its upward position a pawl on top of the cylinder R will engage in a notch in the valve-stem and support the valve. After exhausting the contents of the tank F the pressure in the pipe Q will diminish and allow the valve P to fall to permit the con tents of the tank 0, under the generated pressure, to discharge through the siphon P, the pipe Q, and the tank F into the distributing-pipes.

It is understood that the valve Gin the vessel D, Fig. 2, and the cup G in the vessel D Fig. 5, form cut-offs between the supplytank F and the distributing-pipes A and control the gas-generating vessel N, so that on a reduction of pressure in the pipes A the tank F and the pipes A are connected with each other.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An automatic fire extinguisher, comprising a distributing-pipe containing a fluid under pressure, a vessel connected with the said pipe, a liquid sealed gravityvalve in said vessel, a weighted device supported by the fluid under pressure in the said pipe, a vessel for supplying the gas-generating substance, a rack-andpinion connection between the vessel and said weighted device, and a supply-tank connected with the said vessel, substantially as shown and described.

An automatic fire-extinguisher, comprising a distributing-pipe containinga fluid under pressure, a vessel connected with the said pipe, a float normallyconnected with its interior so that the fluid under pressure contained in the pipe supports the float in an uppermost position, a supply-tank connected by a pipe with the said vessel, and a valve contained in the said vessel and adapted to close the end of the pipe extending into the vessel, the said valve being also adapted to close the connection between the vessel and the float and a device for automatically supplying pressure-generating material to the tank, substantially as shown and described.

3. An automatic fire extinguisher, comprising a distributing-pipe containing a fluid under pressure, a vessel connected with the said pipe, a float normally connected with its interior so that the fluid under pressure contained in the pipe supports the float in an uppermost position, a supply-tank connected by a pipe with the said vessel, a valve contained in the said vessel and adapted to close the end of the pipe extending into the vessel, the said valve being also adapted to close the connection between the vessel and the float, and a device for supplying the gas-generating substance to the said tank, the said device being supported by the said float, substantially as described.

4. An automatic fire extinguisher, provided with a fusion-valve comprising a flexible seat held on the pipe containing the fireextinguishing matter, a ball-valve adapted to be seated on the said seat, a cup supportin g the valve, and a crutch engaging with the cup and made of several members diverging at their upper portion, and a fusion-solder for holding the members together, substantially as shown and described.

5. For use with an automatic fire-extinguisher, a fusion-valve, comprising a pipe, a yoke secured thereto, a valve-seat of elastic materialhavin g annular corrugations, a valve of fictile material engaging in the valve-seat, a cup in which the valve rests, and a crutch consisting of members diverging at the upper portion to support the cup and valve and having a portion engaging with the yoke, the said members being secured together by a fusible solder, substantially as specified.

EDWARD LIVINGSTON. lVitnesses WM. AcKER, S. ROBINSON. 

